Gin no Juujika to Draculea - Volume 02, Chapter 2 - Witchs Recipe

In the celestial empire, during the ninth year of the Mandate of Heaven,Chaos reigns across the land, and the people suffer.The royal governance collapses, and western barbarians with their pantheon of gods invade.New warlords arise, claiming territories; the Taiping rebels wreak havoc, leading to widespread misery.Calamities like floods, droughts, earthquakes, sandstorms, tornadoes, acid rain, blood moons, and meteor falls occur in succession.Countless demons roam, strange beings thrive, spirits mingle with the inexplicable, and mysterious phenomena arise.In these dark and tumultuous times, Tao Qian opens his eyes to find himself about to be beheaded at the vegetable market...

It was in the middle of the night that the woman who would be the Duchess came to see me.

She said my father and mother died, and my kind uncle became king.

She said it’s not worth it for me, the crown prince, to be living in hiding, too.

“A while ago, Your Highness had been hiding from me. With all due respect, is that for the sake of survival? Just because your parents died doesn’t mean you have no reason to survive. Actually, that fact alone made it all the more reason why you should live. If you die now…”

If I died now?

When I asked her while looking at her eyes, the woman eventually brought out the harsh truth with empathetic eyes.

“It’s like a dog’s death.”

“That’s rude….”

It’s been a long time since I said that. In a short while, he has been treated as a madman and beaten to death just by saying similar things. She loosened her arms that held me and I suddenly stiffened up due to it. Because I thought she might have loosened her arm to hit me. But she didn’t.

She knelt down with one knee in front of me, just like a knight.

“Hastred’s Sarian raised her salutations. May you accept it gladly.”

My first knight is beautiful and kind.

“Are you on my side?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It was all a lie.

Allen, an eight-year-old boy from a poor family in the royal capital, is living a poor but happy life together with his mother. One day, however, memories of his previous life suddenly come back to him and he remembers that he is in an dating sim game and that the capital will be destroyed by war if he doesn’t do something about it. If this continues, both he and his mother will be killed! With a sense of urgency, he decides to rise to the occasion in order to save his precious mother’s life and save his favorite character, the villainous young lady Anastasia, the only girl he liked in the game, from her all too tragic and ruinous end. This is the story of a man who isn’t even a character in the game, but who strives with his steely determination and uses all the knowledge he has to turn overcome fate!

The Morandi color palette refers to colors with low saturation and a muted, smoky feel.Chen Ningxi, who usually seems untouched by worldly concerns, finds herself unexpectedly moved upon meeting Cheng Qiaobei, who embodies the Morandi hues.At their first meeting, Cheng Qiaobei is in a subordinate position, striving to meet the demands of Chen Ningxi’s client role.Three days later, they meet again when Cheng Qiaobei is inspecting a hotel and Chen Ningxi, a VIP client, calls to make a complaint that goes directly to his office.Two weeks later, a newly built chain hotel urgently requires electric equipment installation approval, and the responsible person is Chen Ningxi.Cheng Qiaobei visits her for negotiations but gets caught in the middle of Chen Ningxi’s blind date, and weighing his options, he lets himself be used as a temporary shield to deflect the matchmaker.With a glance, they fulfill each other's needs—he gets the approval, and she avoids matchmaking.In the charade of their fake relationship, they end up truly connecting. He gets drunk, she listens earnestly; he's busy, she remains focused on her work.He does not intrude on her, and she does not disturb him. Chen Ningxi realizes she might have found someone easy to get along with and never tires of.Regarding love, Chen Ningxi has the ability to both love deeply and restrain herself. In terms of career, Cheng Qiaobei has the capability to conjure miracles and rise again from setbacks.As for them, they are a couple wandering within the hues of the Morandi palette.